"We are moving into an age where the premium will be on creativity, cooperation and communication - and that is what politics should be about," David Miliband told the Guardian Teacher Network when quizzed on the importance of citizenship classes in schools.

The Labour MP and former foreign secretary's comments will definitely resonate with teachers up and down the country already using debate as a tool to develop students' critical thinking skills and give them an important voice on the economic and political issues which directly affect them now and in the future.

Here's some of the brightest ideas and inspirational lesson plans which have worked for teachers trying to get pupils to swap their Xbox for the soap box.

Amjad Ali teaches citizenship and law at The Bulmershe School in Reading

I regularly start lessons with mini debates and questions revolving around current topical issues. The spur for this could be a montage of pictures left on the students' desks. As they enter they sit next to one they have questions or information about. Or, I simply display some newspaper headlines with a keyword/sentence missing. I may play a YouTube clip, or even wear/hold/present a prop. I then ask students to think, pair, square and then share what they think the stimulus is about. This is an immediate way to get students talking and discussing politics. Fodey.com is good for a variety of generator tools.

I ask students to always consider other people's perspectives while I play devil's advocate to each response offered. You could use role cards, which specify the tasks of individuals to encourage participation of all your students. These could be designated before the debate or during. In addition, get students to 'talk like an expert' and involve as much cross-curricular elements as possible. There are more ideas and activities on mine and the school's blog.

You could also set pupils the challenge to make a video about a human right they feel strongly about. The clip with the most hits wins. For examples, click here.

Demonstrating to students that politicians hear their voice is crucial in developing trust for the political system. Holding question and answer sessions with their local MP/councilor, making class conference calls, using Skype and holding meetings will help motivate students in realising they can make a difference. The UK Youth Parliament initiative is something I encourage my students to consider. Engaging students in politics means you have to make politics applicable to them.

Lesley Falconer is headteacher designate at Hackney New School in east London

An example lesson where I involve students in debating and discussion is an introduction to Parliament in which pupils learn where it is, what goes on, who is there and how a law is formed. I let the pupils know that we will be talking about Parliament in the next lesson and ask them to research what it is for a brainstorming session of five to 10 minutes long at the start of lesson. They can write bullet points, underlining words they have seen for the first time

But a much more interesting lesson plan is to let them brainstorm without prior research to gauge the level of knowledge and interest. This can be made more relevant by dividing the class in two and sitting them opposite each other as in Parliament. The teacher has the speaker role initially.

I then ask them to write up on the whiteboard all the key words and have a range of definitions ready for them to match up. For example, people such as the speaker, prime minister, opposition, backbencher, chancellor, MP, Queen and terms including the House of Lords, House of Commons, order, bill, law, vote, debate and argument. These are just a few so visit the relevant websites such as parliament education to ensure prior knowledge if teaching this for the first time.

We then summarise that the key role of Parliament is to make and reform legislation before focusing on how a law comes into being by discussing any laws that have affected them already that day or any laws they know. For example, drink driving, age to marry, drugs.

In a the follow-up lesson, we discuss the process from the bill stage to voting in parliament and then decide on something that should become 'law' in school. This could include a discussion on the difference between a law and a rule. One half of the class plays the role of the government and the other half is the opposition, with one pupil as the speaker. The government decides by voting on its prime minister and the opposition on the shadow leader and the debate begins. The debate is filmed for feedback and for wider viewing in school. Set the scene with live feed from Parliament via their website, BBC or YouTube.

Rewards for contribution by the classes are visits to the Houses of Parliament or debate at local councillors' offices.

You can relate what goes on in the school council to the House of Commons. Compare the recordings. Invite local councillors in to act in one of the roles or just as a backbencher. Then follow the bills' progress on the Parliament website.

Francesca Earl is a geography teacher at Barnwell School in Hertfordshire and has incorporated debate on citizenship issues into her lessons

I use a balloon technique to encourage debate in class. Here students argue their point for a prescribed period of time and they have to keep their argument going in order to keep the hypothetical balloon in the air. If they stall, for example, the 'balloon' drops. You have a minute to argue your case and then the rest of the class can create questions that they can ask you later. At the end of that first round, when everybody has spoken about their idea, which should be uninterrupted, they vote somebody off. Once that has been completed I do the next round. Sometimes it will be an opportunity to argue your point more and challenge what other people have said. It really does vary. It can go to several rounds, depending on the topic, then finally you vote on who has the strongest argument.

It's important to find things that are relevant to them in order to get pupils fired up about the subject. I might put a picture on the board or an object and ask "How is that linked to today's lesson?" For example, Marks and Spencer's have a sustainable plan called Plan B. So I'd have a picture of that on the board with music by Plan B playing. It can hook them in. I try to use anything current which would bring the subject to life.

Pupils need to understand the relevance of politics and economics to their life, or else what's the point? Global politics can be quite irrelevant in some respects. It's about simplifying it and bringing it back to their lives then widening it out again.

Chrischar Rock is head of citizenship at Haverstock School in Camden, London

We adopt an issue-based approach to teaching citizenship and politics across key stages 3 to 5 so that students are able to see how it permeates all aspects of their lives.

In citizenship lessons we particularly aim to develop and deepen the students' understanding of their place within their own communities, how to thrive in it and how to engage in aspects of community life which affect them. For example, while studying the role of charities, voluntary and pressure groups in UK society and particularly Camden we teamed up with the Freedom Charity. The organisation campaigns to protect young people against forced marriages and provides them with the tools to be more confident and aware of their rights. I invited the organisation in for a Q&A session with the founder, the students read a novel based on a true story of forced marriage written by the founder and used their drama skills to role play scenes and alternative outcomes for the characters.

The students then gave advice to the organisation on how to improve their website to engage more students, tips on designing a new smartphone app and will now join the organisation at the Foreign and Commonwealth office in March this year to further campaign on this very important issue. Throughout this approach the students have developed their knowledge and understanding, improved their skills and are affecting change on an issue local to them.